Paint the town! Mural Fest is new downtown Canton event featuring 13 renderings

CANTON ? Artists are being called on to paint the town as part of the new Mural Fest.

Sponsored by ArtsinStark, the Downtown Canton Partnership and Visit Canton, Mural Fest will celebrate public art and feature the creation of 13 murals culminating in a community festival on Sept. 28. More details on the event will be announced later.

“Mural Fest is a testament to the power of collaboration among some of our city's esteemed institutions,” Todd Herberghs, executive director of the Downtown Canton Partnership, said in a news release. “Working together, Mural Fest really embodies our shared vision of making Canton a more vibrant, dynamic and culturally rich destination for all."

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What's Mural Fest in Canton?

The idea is to transform downtown Canton "into a canvas of creativity."

Artists from near and far are invited to participate.

“We are excited to launch Mural Fest as a new tradition in Canton,” said Maureen Ater, president and CEO of ArtsinStark. “This event is an opportunity to celebrate the arts and engage with our community in a meaningful way.”

Event organizers "envision a collection of murals that together make an outdoor mural gallery designed to connect, reflect and celebrate our diverse communities through public art," the Mural Fest website says.

How do Canton Mural Fest artists participate?

The Mural Fest Committee is asking talented muralists to submit their proposals. Details regarding submission requirements, project goals, artist eligibility and criteria are available online at https://www.downtowncanton.com/events/mural-fest/.

Artwork may be painted or an applied vinyl wrap.

The deadline for applications is 4 p.m. July 19.

Thirteen artists, or teams of artists, will be chosen and commissioned to create an original mural on an exterior wall of properties located within the designated Canton Mural Fest location.

Heading the process will be the city's Planning Department, ArtsinStark, Visit Canton and the Downtown Canton Partnership.

ArtsinStark will award a stipend to each commissioned artist or team of artists, with the amount dependent on the location and size of the wall.

Where will the murals be located?

Thirteen mural sites have been selected in the Cherry and Walnut avenue area of downtown.

Assigned mural locations will be shared once submissions are juried and artists are paired with property owners.

Buildings will be matched with artists based on several factors, including how much input the owner would like to contribute to the design process, the style and artistic goals of the business or property owner, and the size of the wall, the Mural Fest website said.

"We strive to place artists at locations where their style meshes well with the business and building," event organizers said.

Who decides what the mural will look like?

Building owners do not decide the design, but artists are expected to work with the property or business owner on the concept. Property owners must give final design approval.

"Some owners give the artist total artistic freedom to design the mural (within Mural Fest guidelines)," event organizers said. "Others prefer some input on what the mural will look like. We highly encourage building owners to respect the artistic freedom and diversity of the artist throughout the design process."

Artwork should "reflect the diversity and character of Canton and Stark County and add vibrancy and a sense of place to the neighborhood."

The Mural Fest Committee intends to create permanent works of art. All building owners hosting murals will be required to keep the artwork intact for three years.

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Mural Fest set for September in downtown Canton, featuring 13 pieces